Hartford keeps up Common touch

HARTFORD Group, the bars and restaurants operator behind Pharmacy in London's Notting Hill, is in talks to buy two new properties for its Common Room 'bar-with-food' concept being trialled in Wimbledon.

The once-troubled firm is being turned around by new boss Sheila McKenzie, soon to be joined by James Kowszun, the finance director at pubs operator SFI, who will take over as chief executive.

After a year of stringent cost controls, the group's pre-tax losses rose to £5.9m from £3.23m. Sales fell to £6.2m from £7.3m a year earlier.